By R.L. Bynum
With one of the youngest teams in the country, UNC coach Courtney Banghart is embracing the challenge of building chemistry and identity with a roster full of fresh faces and new roles.
The No. 11 Tar Heels have the eighth-youngest women’s basketball team in the country, with an average age of 19, made younger by the talented four-player freshman class.
That youth is palpable in every practice, every teaching moment, and every adjustment. Banghart described the early days of the season as a time of transformation.
“It’s been a different vibe. It’s been really fun,” Banghart said Thursday during the team’s media day at Carmichael Arena. “We’ve really changed a lot of things because the strength of our team is different than it was last year.”
Gone are three dependable starters in decorated five-year forward Alyssa Ustby, center Maria Gakdeng and guard Lexi Donarski. But with newcomers in two five-star freshmen — wings Nyla Brooks and Taliyah Henderson — four-star freshman Taissa Quieroz, Russian freshman wing Liza Astakhova (who the NCAA has cleared to play), UCLA sophomore point guard transfer Elina Aarnisalo and Louisville senior forward transfer Nyla Harris, Banghart has reloaded.
Despite a roster with plenty of inexperience, UNC earned a lofty spot in the AP preseason poll. Banghart sees that ranking as a reflection of the program’s reputation rather than the current roster’s accomplishments.
“They haven’t really done anything for that,” Banghart said. “Quite honestly, I give a lot of appreciation for the program over the last five years to have assumptions, assumptions that Carolina is going to be good at basketball.”
The Tar Heels will be tested early, with showcase games, including three matchups against teams coming off Final Four berths: an exhibition against No. 3 South Carolina, a road game against No. 4 Texas and a Las Vegas matchup against No.3 UCLA.
“If we were only going to bring back 35% of our offense and defensive productivity, we want to know what the standard is, so that by the time we get to ACC play, we have a better understanding of what the standard is,” Banghart said.
Sophomore Lanie Grant, still the youngest player on the team despite having a season of experience, has emerged as a leader.
“She introduced herself at our donor event the other night as a freshman,” said Banghart of Grant, who reclassified and skipped her senior high school season. “She still feels like she’s one of the younger guys that she is, but she has a whole year of experience, right? And that matters.”
In the frontcourt, Blanca Thomas is stepping into a larger role following the departure of Gakdeng and Ustby.
“Blanca has got great size, but she’s more of a face-up presence,” Banghart said. “She can do that. I don’t think yet any of our posts can play as hard as those two played. They’re still figuring out how hard you have to play.”
Banghart also praised the team’s chemistry and joy, which she says are essential to building a winning culture.
“I just think anything of importance and value has to have joy,” she said. “That’s just who I am. They’re goofy, but they’re serious. Their pursuit to this process has been as admirable as it has for any team I’ve coached.”
She is quick to add that this doesn’t mean this is the best team she’s coached. Asked to describe her team in one word, Banghart didn’t hesitate.
“I would say connected,” she said. “They’re connected to each other. They’re connected to the big picture of a mission. They’re connected to the daily steps.”
With youth comes unpredictability, but also potential. And for Banghart, that’s a challenge worth embracing.
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| Year | No. | Players | Pos. | Height | |
| Freshman | 11 | Kate Harpring | PG | 5–10 | |
| Freshman | 52 | Noelle Bofia | F | 6–4 | |
| Sophomore | 3 | Gabby White — W | G | 5–10 | |
| Sophomore | 7 | Nyla Brooks | W | 6–1 | |
| Sophomore | 26 | Taissa Queiroz | G | 6–1 | |
| Junior | 34 | Blanca Thomas | C | 6–5 | |
| Junior | 1 | Jordan Zubich | G | 5–11 | |
| Senior | 21 | Ciera Toomey | F | 6–4 | |
| Senior | 4 | Laila Hull | W | 6–1 | |
| Senior | 5 | Sophie Burrows — X | G | 6–2 | |
| Senior | 8 | Achol Akot — Y | F | 6–1 | |
| Senior | 10 | Reniya Kelly | G | 5–7 | |
| Senior | 15 | Sydney Barker | G | 5–6 | |
| Senior | 13 | Chloe Clardy — Z | G | 5–9 |
W — Virginia transfer; X — Syracuse transfer; Y — Oklahoma State transfer; Z — Stanford transfer
Former players transferred
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elina Aarnisalo | Junior | G | 5–10 | UCLA |
| Lanie Grant | Junior | G | 5–9 | TCU |
| Taliyah Henderson | Sophomore | W | 6–1 | Clemson |
| Liza Astakhova | Sophomore | G | 6–2 | BYU |
UNC schedule
| Date | Day/ month | Time, TV | Opponent/event (rank in final poll) |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | ||
| 18 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. Davidson |
| 24 | Saturday | 1 p.m., Big Ten Network+ | at No. 20 Maryland |
| November | Regular season | ||
| 2 | Monday | 2:30 ET | Oui-Play in Paris vs. No. 12 Oklahoma |
| 8 | Sunday | 5:30, ESPN | Ally Tipoff in Charlotte vs. No. 2 South Carolina |
| 11 | Wednesday | TBA | vs. N.C. Central |
| 14 | Saturday | 4 p.m., ESPN+ | at Penn in Palestra |
| WBCA Showcase | Orlando | ||
| 19 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | vs. Texas Tech |
| 21 | Saturday | 5 p.m. | vs. No. 24 Alabama |
| ——— | |||
| 24 | Tuesday | TBA | vs. Gardner-Webb |
| 27 | Friday | TBA | vs. Army |
| 29 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Brown |
| December | |||
| 2 | Wednesday | 7:15, ESPN2 | ACC/SEC Women’s Challenge vs. No. 8 LSU |
| 6 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Elon |
| 9 | Wednesday | 11 a.m. | vs. Winthrop |
| 13 | Sunday | TBA | vs. N.C. State |
| 17 | Thursday | TBA | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 21 | Monday | TBA | vs. Norfolk State |
| 28 | Monday | TBA | vs. UNCW |
| 31 | Thursday | TBA | at Syracuse |
| January | |||
| 3 | Sunday | TBA | at Clemson |
| 7 | Thursday | TBA | vs. Wake Forest |
| 10 | Sunday | TBA | at No. 11 Louisville |
| 17 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Boston College |
| 21 | Thursday | TBA | at California |
| 24 | Sunday | TBA | at Stanford |
| 28 | Thursday | TBA | vs. No. 9 Notre Dame |
| 31 | Sunday | TBA | vs. No. 5 Duke |
| February | |||
| 4 | Thursday | TBA | at Miami |
| 7 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Virginia Tech |
| 14 | Sunday | TBA | at SMU |
| 18 | Thursday | TBA | at Pittsburgh |
| 21 | Sunday | TBA | vs. Florida State |
| 25 | Thursday | TBA | vs. No. 19 Virginia |
| 28 | Sunday | TBA | at No. 5 Duke |
| March | |||
| 3–7 | Wed.-Sun. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo courtesy of the ACC
